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transform schooling as we know it, to help all students realise their
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Friday, April 28, 2017

The purpose of school? / Gifted children / Big Picture Company / ability grouping? / David Perkins and Guy Claxton

‘I’m raising this as a question. Suppose you, magically, were
part of a committee charged with developing, completely from scratch, a school
system for our modern times. You and the other committee members realize
that before designing the structure, you need a clear idea of the purpose

of
schools. And let’s suppose you are idealists enough to believe that
the purpose should have something to do with education (as opposed, for
example, to such purposes as providing employment for teachers or
supporting the textbook and testing industries). You are asked to come to
the next meeting with a brief, written statement of what you think that purpose
(or those purposes) should be.

‘If we start with these, relationships and the company we keep as
our basic principles of learning, then the design of our school, classroom,
learning environment need to reflect that. In other words, do the designs of
the above, hinder or support strong relationships and creating a context for
students to be surrounded by the kinds of people that we hope they become?’

‘Gifted kids can be a joy to teach when you know how to identify
what engages them. These 50 tips and tricks come from my own experience and
from around the Web. They’re good to have in your bag of tricks whether you’re
a newbie or an old hand at teaching these high-level thinkers.’

‘One consultation evening, a parent told me that their child was no
longer considering health and social care as an option. They had been informed
by one of my colleagues that there was no point in doing it and to take a “real
subject”. While I was shocked, I shouldn’t have been surprised: my subjects
were always included at the back of the options booklet, with English, maths
and science at the front.’

How to make mixed ability work: Let children take control of the
lesson

‘Grouping children by presumed ability rests on the assumption that
teachers know exactly what each child will achieve in a lesson. In reality this
is rare, as completing tasks does not always

pupils waiting to be moved on. This ignores the pupil as a rational, self-regulating agent who has the potential, if given the chance, to

equate with achievement. In fact,
the idea of the ‘omnipotent teacher’ has led to an approach to lesson design
defined by passive understand their own cognitive capacity better than anyone else; it also belies
the ability for pupils to act as resources for one another.’

'To retain our best teachers we need to
stop killing them with planning, marking and meetings’

‘Just about every teacher will recognise
the sad truth: they are working longer and longer hours week after week.
(It would appear that this is now recognised by the Department for Education,
too). The most profound question to address is whether these extra hours spent
in the school are actually improving the quality of teaching and learning.
Sadly, it would seem, this is not the case. It is rather more likely that we
are spending endless hours perfuming menial tasks because that's just what
is expected of us…’

‘What does it mean to be a great teacher?
Of course credentials, knowledge, critical thinking, and all other faculties of
intelligence are important. However, a great teacher should be much more than
credentials, experience and intelligence.What lies in the heart of a great
teacher?’

‘If you still have learning objectives
written up at the start of every lesson, you're in 2012. Hope you're enjoying
Gangnam Style.

A few people have been asking the
reasoning behind my scorn for learning objectives, and I felt it prudent to
outline my thinking here, in a blog. So here’s why I think learning objectives
are ridiculous:’

‘David Perkins is professor of Education at Harvard University
Graduate School of Education. A highly respected authority in his field he is
well known for his research and insight into the deep understanding of teaching
and learning. His latest highly creative and easy to read book ( published
2009) summarizes years of observations, reflections and research. He 'makes
visible' what creative and insightful teachers do. He also provides a framework
of seven practical principles for all teachers to transform their teaching.’

“Guy Claxton, University of Winchester,is one of the UK's foremost
thinkers on developing students 'learning power’. His most recent book is
called 'What's the Point of School' and ought to be compulsory reading for
anyone involved in education. His book is all about 'rediscovering the heart in
education’.”

“The Big Picture Company believes that every students learning
should grow out of his or her unique needs, interests and

passions. They also
believe that the system must ensure that the students and their families are
active participants in the design and assessment of the student’s education.
The goal of education should be to connect students to the world ‘one student
at a time.’”